l be ousted from them; a very simple and
most inevitable conclusion, as you see." "I repeat it, a universal
system of ousting the peasantry is about to set in. Whether this results
from the fault or from the necessities of the landlords it matters not."
The following extract from the _Roscommon Journal_ is emphatically cited
by W.G. in support of his views. "_The number of civil bills served by
landlords for the approaching sessions of this town_ WILL TREBLE THOSE
EVER SENT OUT FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS."[226]

More than twenty years after W.G. wrote those letters, I had a
conversation relative to the Famine with a gentleman who knew the
Midland Counties and portions of the West well. I asked him what was the
effect of the Famine in his district. "My district," he answered, "was
by no means regarded as a poor one, but the Famine swept away more than
half its population. The census of '41 gave the families residing in it
as 2,200; the census of '51 gave them at 1,000." Did the landlords, I
enquired, come forward liberally to save the lives of the people? "Only
one landlord," he replied, "in the whole locality with which I am
connected did anything to save the people, F---- O'B----. He asked no
rent for two years, and he never afterwards insisted on the rent of
those two years; although I must say he was paid it by many of his
tenants, of their own free will; but, for the rest, he cancelled those
two years' rent and opened a new account with them, as with men owing
him nothing." And what, I further asked, were the feelings of the
landlords with regard to their tenants dying of starvation? He answered
with solemn emphasis--"DELIGHTED TO BE RID OF THEM."

The present leader of the Conservative party seems to entertain feelings
akin to this; for, some years ago, addressing his constituents, and
speaking of some results of the Irish Famine, he said
significantly--"there are worse things than a famine."

"I shall never forget," said Rev. Mr. F---- to W.G., "the impression
made on my mind a few days ago by a most heartrending case of
starvation. It was this: The poor mother of five children, putting them
to bed one night, almost lifeless from hunger, and despairing of ever
again seeing them alive, took her last look at them, and bade them her
last farewell. She rose early in the morning, and her first act was to
steal on tiptoe to where they lay. She would not awake them, but she
must know the truth--are they alive or dead? and